Nassau Legislature Candidates: Meet Barbara Hafner

Voters in Nassau County will head to the polls Nov. 5 to cast their ballots for the Legislature.

In District 8 — which includes Franklin Square, Floral Park, Bellerose, Bellerose Terrace, West Hempstead and portions of Elmont, New Hyde Park and Stewart Manor — voters will select from two candidates: incumbent Republican Vincent Muscarella and Democratic challenger Barbara Hafner.

Patch reached out to both candidates to hear where they stand on important issues affecting the community.

Here are the responses for those who participated. The answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

Barbara Hafner

• Age (as of Sept. 1, 2019): 67
• Town of Residence: West Hempstead
• Position Sought: District 8 Legislator
• Party Affiliation: Democrat
• Family: Husband Emil Hafner, 73, retired teacher; son, Derek Hafner, 35, NYC High school English teacher; daughter, Emily Hafner, 33, Works in NYC Art Gallery
• Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No
• Education: A.A. Fashion & Marketing, Berkeley College; B.S. Elementary Education, SUNY Old Westbury; M.S. Reading, Adelphi Universtiy
• Occupation: Public School Teacher, 25 years, grades 5 and 6
• Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: NYSUT Board of Directors; Long Island Federation of Labor, Executive Board; West Hempstead Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
• Campaign Website: hafner2019.com

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Assessment is No. 1. The assessment process has not been transparent. Residents are concerned about how the new assessments will affect their property taxes. The change had to happen, however, it must be transparent and communicated to the residents. Is it working? If yes, how is it working to benefit the tax payers? That must be clearly spelled out and the process transparent. If no, then again, why not and how will it be fixed.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am not a politician. I am an educator and a labor leader. My role has always been to help those I represent, whether it was in the classroom, helping my students and working with parents, or representing my members in labor.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

In my opinion, communication and transparency has been neglected for too many years. I believe it is the role of the legislator to be there for all residents and to be visible and hear the issues affecting the residents.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

Our infrastructure needs to be improved on a more timely basis. I think we can do a better job working with our towns. Improved communication will surely help everyone living and working in our county. Economic development needs to be addressed. How can we encourage businesses to come to our towns? Public transportation needs to be fixed. If we want to encourage businesses and residents to come to Nassau County, we need to provide better systems for mass transportation. This will help the young people who prefer not to drive and it will help our seniors to get around when they can no longer be behind the wheel, but want their independence. We need to do more to address the issues affecting climate change. Let's start with putting solar panels on the roofs of public buildings. Plastic bags should be a thing of the past. It's time to make reusable bags a constant practice.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In addition to my role as a teacher for 25 years, serving my students and their parents, I have served the members of my local union for 20 years — first as their vice president for two years and then as president for 18 years. During that time I served on the negotiations team settling contracts that benefited the members of WHEA, as well as the West Hempstead School District and the community. During my tenure as president, I worked with NYSUT to organize our teaching assistants and occupational therapists working in our district. They now have better working conditions, benefits, and a pension when they retire. As a director of NYSUT's ED18, I serve the local school districts in the southwest section of Nassau County. I listen to the concerns of the local unions and bring their concerns and questions back to NYSUT at the state level. Serving on the Long Island Federation of Labor Executive Board, I work with all labor unions, public and private, listening and sharing the issues we face.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Get an education, be a problem solver, be kind, be honest, listen to all sides

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am here to serve the residents of LD8, and Nassau County as a whole. It doesn't matter your political affiliation, I will be available to hear your concerns and be your voice in the County Legislature.